Pride Youth Theater Alliance

The Purpose of Pride Youth Theater Alliance (PYTA)

A national network of arts organizations from across the U.S. and Canada with programs focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth theater have teamed up to form the Pride Youth Theater Alliance (PYTA). PYTA was formed to provide and promote successful models for LGBTQ youth theater programming, both nationally and internationally. Many youth development theater programs do not address the serious issues that LGBTQ youth face, including bullying, rejection by families, homelessness, discrimination, violence, depression, and suicide. Most importantly, PYTA is an opportunity to support the insight and resilience of LGBTQ youth and provide them with safe spaces for creative expression to tell their own stories. The network formally adopted the name PYTA in July 2012 at its third annual Queer Youth Theater Directors’ Retreat in Boston. PYTA marks the first time that theaters and organizations from around the nation have had an outlet to deeply share knowledge, resources, and experience with each other and contribute it to the field of theater by and for queer youth. By coordinating these organizations and documenting and sharing the impact of their work, PYTA is positioned to influence the wider movement of theater for young audiences.